Posted on 04/29/2011 1:36:08 PM PDT by Walter Scott Hudson
In the great state of Minnesota, we have something called the Legacy Amendment which increased our state sales tax to create a slush fund for all kinds of extraneous goodies related to "outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and cultural heritage." The result has been increasingly odious lobbying efforts to claim a slice of that taxpayer pie. Legislators can't seem to give the money away fast enough. As the state wrestles with a $5 billion budget deficit, funds raised by the Legacy Amendment go to such essential items as paying a science-fiction writer $40,000 to speak to an audience of 500 at a small town library.
Like Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring, an effort is underway to repeal the Legacy Amendment in the same manner it was created, though a ballot initiative. In the meantime, the slush fund's beneficiaries continue to squabble over the state's fiscal crumbs like a hoard of orcs tearing at man-flesh.
Among them is Minnesota Public Radio. In a recent email to members, the public broadcasting organization pleaded for help in pressuring legislators to keep the gravy train flowing.
Minnesota Public Radio is proud to be a recipient of Minnesota Legacy Amendment funding that has allowed us to create over a dozen new arts and cultural programs over the past two years. Given the fact that MPR is our state’s largest cultural organization, reaching 96% of the state with free arts and cultural programming 24 hours a day, we believe this is money well spent...
(Excerpt) Read more at newsrealblog.com ...
OUTSTANDING post! Thanks. Defund ALL of the collectivist’s collectives. Let them live or die on their own. It’s 2011. Wake up.
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